1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a load carrying platform for use in the transportation of goods.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years it has become the practice for goods to be packed into rigid containers of a standard size, shape and strength and having standard fittings at the corners for securing the containers to each other in a stack and/or to a base which may be a fixed part of the structure of a ship, railway waggon or lorry for example.
More recently, it has been proposed to use load carrying platforms which have end walls capable of being secured rigidly upright so as effectively to define a standard sized "container" within which goods can be packed. The sides and the top of this "container" can be covered by a flexible material if desired and the end walls are sufficiently rigid to carry loads of the same order of magnitude as those which can be carried by a standard container. However, after unloading, the overall dimensions of the "container" can be reduced by folding or otherwise moving the end walls from the upright condition into a condition in which they lie close to the load carrying platform itself. The amount of space occupied is therefore greatly reduced if a container has to be returned to its point of despatch for example without a return load and hence costs are greatly reduced compared with the use of standard rigid containers which might need to be returned empty but which will inevitably occupy the same space as a fully loaded container.